Naples’ annual St. Patrick’s Day parade returns

NAPLES, Florida. The annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in Naples began on Saturday morning at 11:00 am.

The Southwest Florida tradition has been around for over 40 years. It is a holiday or Irish heritage and culture.

More than 40,000 people attended last year, and organizers have said they expect even more this year.

Due to the success of the event, members of the parade committee turned it into a non-profit organization.

“Now we are raising money and we have sponsorship and we are giving back to the community through various local charities,” said Kim Haislip, president of the Neapolitan St. Patrick’s Day Committee. “To help children, we donate $2,000 to each marching band.”

Participants in the parade included dancers from the Irish dance school Celtic Spirit and members of the Naples Kiltsmen.

“I just love being part of such an amazing place,” said Kate Anderson, a Celtic Spirit dancer. “I’ve made some really good friends here and that’s really important to me.”

The event kicked off with the annual flag-raising ceremony at 9:30 am at the dock at Creighton Cove. The parade then began at the corner of South 3rd Street and 10th Avenue. It will end in front of the city hall of Naples.